Huawei has a long and storied history of crafting exceptional wearables, and its latest (and most expensive) creation, the Huawei Watch Ultimate, is no exception. This smartwatch might just be the hidden gem you’ve been overlooking. After wearing it for a few days, I’m completely captivated by its unique style and user-friendly interface.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate is a bold statement piece. In a bid to justify its hefty £750 price tag (around $983), Huawei has strayed from the conventional adventure-focused designs of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, opting instead to embrace the allure of a traditional luxury watch. Its size, shape, and design won’t resonate with everyone, but if you crave a smartwatch crafted from premium materials with a look that defies subtlety, this is the one for you.
While the Huawei Watch Ultimate script on the bezel and the somewhat peculiar golf ball design on the lugs aren’t my personal favorites, the rest of the watch effortlessly sets itself apart from its expensive counterparts. The hefty case exudes a solidity that feels like it was hewn from a single block of material. If you associate weight with luxury, then this watch will definitely hit the spot.
Made from a sophisticated zirconium-based liquid metal, the watch feels incredibly high-quality, as do the three buttons on the case. The button presses are perfectly cushioned, offering a tactile experience that rivals the Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – high praise indeed. The ceramic bezel gleams in the light but doesn’t rotate. The case back is also crafted from ceramic, and the rubber strap on my model is flexible and comfortable, though not particularly luxurious-looking. Don’t fret, though, as Huawei thoughtfully includes a titanium metal bracelet in the box.
The most striking design feature is the Watch Ultimate’s size. It’s enormous, even for someone accustomed to wearing Casio G-Shock watches. The 48mm case and its integrated lugs stretch across my 6.5-inch wrist, and with a thickness of 13mm, it’s not exactly easy to slip under a cuff. It’s bold, brash, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
The setup process is remarkably smooth. This isn’t my first experience with a Huawei smartwatch, but I’m delighted to see how much smoother the installation and signup process has become since my last encounter. You’ll need the Huawei Health app, which is available for download from the iOS App Store, the Samsung Galaxy App Store, and the Huawei AppGallery. Notably, Google Play is not included. This means that if you have an Android phone, you’ll need to source Huawei Health through the AppGallery, which requires downloading it first. This took mere moments using Huawei’s website in Chrome, and I didn’t need to create an account or sign in to access the Health app, significantly reducing the required time and effort. Linking the Watch Ultimate was effortless, simply requiring a QR code scan, but a software update did take approximately 30 minutes to install before I could use the watch. The watch then requested access to notifications and location to function, and that was it. I’ve connected it to a Google Pixel 9 Pro, and it has performed flawlessly.
Streamlining the onboarding process makes a world of difference to the initial ownership experience, which has become increasingly complex and frustrating over the years. It’s refreshing to see Huawei simplify the entire process. I’ve also noticed a dramatic improvement in notification support on Android, with all messages arriving instantly on the watch. However, don’t expect to interact with the notifications unless you’re using a Huawei phone. Apart from this minor caveat, the Huawei Watch Ultimate is a delight from the moment you unpack it.
The Watch Ultimate caters to golfers and adventurers alike. While I’m not a hardcore golfer who would brave atrocious weather conditions to hit the greens, I can appreciate the extensive list of golf features offered by the Huawei Watch Ultimate. It includes a dedicated app that tracks both courses and the driving range, along with an AI Caddie mode, shot distance data, and GPS-driven course and green recognition.
I haven’t embarked on any expeditions yet, another prominent feature of the Watch Ultimate. Accessible using the button at the 10 o’clock position, it features waypoint marking and a guide-back system, ensuring you don’t get lost during longer hikes.
I’ve used the Watch Ultimate to track a few walks, and the activity tracking is fast and simple to use. Plus, it acquires a GPS signal remarkably quickly. Huawei still insists on keeping voice guidance enabled by default and at maximum volume, so it loudly announces things like “workout started” and your heart rate data during exercise. It’s both embarrassing and unnecessary, though I can see how it would be useful for cyclists who can’t easily glance at their wrist. At all other times, however, it’s an annoying interruption. Finding the volume control requires a bit of searching, as it’s only accessible after pressing the button at the 2 o’clock position. It also pauses the workout.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate boasts a bright and clear 1.5-inch AMOLED screen. It’s incredibly bright and easily visible outdoors, boasts a sharp 466 x 466-pixel resolution, and is protected by sapphire crystal.
The smartwatch’s software has been refined to the point where it’s intuitive and easy to navigate. I recommend switching the default watchOS-like app grid to a list view, which makes finding apps much quicker. Similar to most smartwatches, swiping the screen reveals tiles displaying data such as the weather, your steps, and quick-start exercise icons. A swipe up reveals notifications.
There’s a vast array of meticulously crafted watch faces, most of which offer customizable complications and various ways to personalize the look, from color to the type of hands displayed. Each face includes an ambient mode, ensuring the screen never appears blank. The raise-to-wake feature is remarkably fast and responsive, making the watch a breeze to use. It consistently shows exactly what you need, and you rarely find yourself lost in confusing menus.
After three days of use with all health-tracking features enabled and the always-on screen activated, and two short walks tracked, the battery shows 79% remaining. I haven’t tracked my sleep yet, as despite the Watch Ultimate’s comfortable fit, it feels somewhat bulky to wear at night. Huawei claims the battery can last between four and eight days on a single charge with these settings, which seems achievable, or up to 14 days with lighter use.
Don’t overlook the Watch Ultimate.
Let’s recap. The Huawei Watch Ultimate is crafted from premium materials and boasts a unique and stylish design, user-friendly software, various unique features, and a battery that can last for a week between charges (depending on your usage). It even works flawlessly with both Android and iOS.
Two of the most popular smartwatches on the market today—the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7—are effectively tied to their respective ecosystems. It’s fantastic to see a desirable third option that plays nicely with everything.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate sits at the expensive end of Huawei’s extensive smartwatch collection, and its appeal won’t resonate with everyone. I haven’t had the chance to try the latest Huawei Watch GT 5 and GT 5 Pro smartwatches, but they appear to offer most of what makes the Ultimate so compelling at a lower price point and in various styles and sizes. Consider those options if the Ultimate’s design isn’t your cup of tea. But for those who haven’t encountered the Huawei Watch Ultimate and are intrigued by a luxury-inspired smartwatch with strong golf and outdoor features, I think you’ve just stumbled upon this year’s hidden gem in the smartwatch world.
